Operation Army Truck

While "working" one day we came across this awesome Government Liquidation Web site where you can buy surplus stuff from military bases all over the nation. Government Liquidation (www.govliquidation.com) is run by a contractor that gets government stuff and sells it to the public in online auctions. These auctions are run similarly to the well-known eBay auctions, where there is a set amount of time for bidding, usually about two days, and at the end of that time the highest bidder wins. The cool thing is that not only can you buy all types of day-to-day military stuff like boots, desks, and tools, but you can also buy complete vehicles, and you can find them at various military bases all across the country.

Now don't expect to get a Hummer or a tank, as these are not usually sold to the public, but you can get deals on 2 1/2-and 5-ton trucks, vans, various Jeeps, and even 1-ton trucks like the one we got. Can you believe that we came home with an '86 1-ton Chevy 4x4 with a Dana 60 front axle and a TH400 automatic transmission for under $2,500? And within a week we had a built wheeling rig that can also take us to work every day.

The secret to the auctions is searching out the listed lots, if possible visiting a nearby auction site to inspect the vehicle or lot before the auction starts. We have seen huge trucks go for much less than used Hondas, with the added bonus that they come in many different shades of olive drab or camouflage. In addition to vehicles, you can also find vehicle parts like axles that have been sitting in crates in some military warehouse for years, or tools like drill presses, mills, or lathes used on some base that are now being decommissioned and put up for public sale. Follow along as you see the start of our army truck project. Also, the reader with the coolest name for our new project will get some 4-Wheel & Off-Road paraphernalia to decorate his or her truck or footlocker.